Combination Blanket and Headrest

ABSTRACT

A combination blanket and headrest. The combination blanket and headrest includes a casing and a fabric stored in the interior volume of the casing. An interior portion of the casing is secured to an edge of the fabric. An opening in the casing is utilized to selectively remove the fabric that is not secured to the interior volume of the casing. The opening is also utilized to selectively receive and store the fabric in a stored configuration of the combination blanket and headrest. A closure on the first edge of the opening and the second edge of the opening enables a user to selective open and close access to the interior volume of the casing. The casing also has a fastener disposed on a first exterior end and a second exterior end of the casing thereby allowing the user to secure the combination blanket and headrest in a headrest configuration.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/750,874 filed on Oct. 26, 2018. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to blankets and pillows. More particularly, the present invention provides a combination blanket and headrest, wherein an edge of a fabric is secured to an interior portion of a casing. When the fabric is stored, the ends of the casing can be secured to each other, thereby forming a headrest. The blanket can be extended out of the interior volume of the casing through an opening thereby providing a user with a blanket.

Many people enjoy going on trips that can take them far away from the comforts of their homes. While traveling, individuals may experience trouble achieving a comfortable position. Sitting upright in a vehicle, such as a plane, train, or automobile, for a prolonged period of time can cause an individual to develop neck, back, and lower body pains. Likewise, without proper support, individuals may sleep against a window, a fellow passenger, or any nearby surface. Such individuals often wake up experiencing discomfort and pain caused by the awkward angles in which they find themselves. Such uncomfortable and painful sleep is typically counterproductive as the individuals do not get a high quality of sleep, are often woken after a short period of time due to the discomfort and pain they experience, and do not alleviate the feeling of being tired which caused them to attempt to get some rest in the first place. Such a lack of quality rest can quickly frustrate the individuals and ruin their travel experience.

Similarly, such individuals may be traveling in a cold or drafty vehicle. While most vehicles are typically equipped with heaters, passengers may have conflicting opinions on whether the environment is too hot or too cold. Additionally, not all heaters in a vehicle are effective at warming the entire cabin of the vehicle. Vehicles are typically not equipped with an alternative warming device such as a blanket, as blankets can be quite large and thereby take up a lot of space.

Devices have been disclosed in the known art that relate to blankets and pillows. These include devices that have been patented and disclosed in patent application publications. However, the devices in the known art have several drawbacks. Some devices incorporate a pillow into a portion of a blanket. Such devices do not allow for the blanket to be removed from the pillow portion, thereby limiting the effective use of the blanket to the sides and portion of the front of a user. Some devices are made of a singular piece of fabric and do not allow for a variety of fabrics to be utilized, each having their own distinct advantages. Some devices are not capable of supporting a storage configuration, and do not provide an enclosure in which to store the blanket. Such devices are often bulky and take up a large amount of space. Still other devices do not provide adequate support to both the neck and spine.

The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing blanket and pillow devices. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of blanket and pillow devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a combination blanket and headrest wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when traveling and desiring a blanket and pillow that can be conveniently stored, as well as utilized as a headrest. The present combination blanket and headrest comprises a casing and a fabric stored in the interior volume of the casing. An interior portion of the casing is secured to an edge of the fabric. An opening in the casing is utilized to selectively remove the fabric that is not secured to the interior volume of the casing. The opening is also utilized to selectively receive and store the fabric in a stored configuration of the combination blanket and headrest. A closure on the first edge of the opening and the second edge of the opening enables a user to selective open and close access to the interior volume of the casing. The casing also has a fastener disposed on a first exterior end and a second exterior end of the casing thereby allowing the user to secure the combination blanket and headrest in a headrest configuration. In one embodiment, the interior volume further comprises a first compartment and a second compartment, wherein the fabric is stored in the first compartment. In another embodiment, the casing is removably secured to an edge of the fabric.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of the combination blanket and headrest in a stored configuration.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of an embodiment of the combination blanket and headrest in a deployed configuration.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the combination blanket and headrest in a headrest configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the combination headrest and blanket. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, a preferred embodiment will be discussed as providing a warming device that can be optionally configured as a support pillow. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a side view of an embodiment of the combination blanket and headrest in a stored configuration. The combination blanket and headrest 100 comprises a casing 110 which includes an outer surface 111 of the casing 110 and an inner surface 112 of the casing 110. The outer surface 111 of the casing 110 comprises a material suitable to rest against a head, hair, and/or skin of a user. As the material is configured to rest against a user's body, the material does not irritate the skin of the user. In one embodiment, the material is hypoallergenic in order to provide a material that will not cause irritation to users with allergies. In one embodiment, the material used for the outer surface 111 is corduroy. In such an embodiment, the corduroy material provides a plurality of raised ridges that provide additional padding and comfort to the user. In other embodiments, a variety of textiles are used in order to provide different tactile profiles and pleasing aesthetics to the user. Such a variety of textile also allows the user to match and/or coordinate the appearance and style of the outer surface 111 to their tastes, or to an intended place in which the user will utilize the combination blanket and headrest, such as their automobile.

In various embodiments, the casing 110 is in various forms. For example, in the shown embodiment, the casing 110 is cylindrical. In such an embodiment, the contours of the cylindrical casing 110 are ideally suited to receive a neck and a head of a user, as further detailed below. The cylindrical shape of the casing 110 also provides a form that enables the user to easily store the combination blanket and headrest 100, when said combination blanket and headrest 100 is in a stored configuration. Additionally, the cylindrical shape of the casing 110 provides a casing 110 that is ideally suited to receive a rolled-up fabric (as shown in FIG. 2), such as a blanket. Where a user desires to store the fabric portion of the combination blanket and headrest, rolling said fabric into a cylinder provides an easy method to convert the deployed fabric into a storage configuration. Therefore, a cylindrical casing 110 provides a well-suited configuration in which to receive the fabric. In other embodiments, the casing 110 similarly matches other methods of folding a fabric, such as a rectangle.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a side view of an embodiment of the combination blanket and headrest in a deployed configuration. The inner surface 112 of the casing 110 defines an interior volume 130. The inner surface 112 of the casing 110 is disposed opposite the outer surface 111 of the casing 110. The interior volume 130 is configured to receive a fabric 200 therein. In various embodiments, the interior volume 130 is configured to receive the entirety of the fabric 200 therein. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the entire fabric 200 is rolled into a storage configuration and is therefore capable of being received by the interior volume 130. In some embodiments, the interior volume 130 is divided into a plurality of compartments. In one embodiment, the interior volume 130 is divided into a first compartment 141 and a second compartment 142. In the shown embodiment, the first compartment 141 is configured to receive the entirety of the fabric 200. In another embodiment, the plurality of compartments is in communication with each other, such that a user is able to selectively add and remove desired materials from each compartment. For example, a user can fill a first compartment with the entirety of the fabric 200 and fill a second compartment with additional fill material, such as cotton, to provide added padding. Alternatively, a user can fill a first compartment with the entirety of the fabric 200 and store items such as a cellphone, wallet, and/or watch in a second compartment, for example.

A portion of the inner surface 112 of the casing 110 is secured to an edge 220 of the fabric 200 via a fastener 210. In the shown embodiment, the entire length of the edge 220 of the fabric 200 is securable to the inner surface 112 of the casing 110 via the mating of one facet of the fastener 211 to a corresponding facet of the fastener 212. In such an embodiment, the facet of the fastener 211 of the inner surface 112 of the casing 110 matches the length of the corresponding facet of the fastener 212 on the fabric 200. In other embodiments, the edge 220 of the fabric 200 that is secured to the interior portion 210 of the inner surface 112 of the casing 110 comprises at least one connection point at which the fabric 200 is permanently attached to the interior portion 210 of the inner surface 112 of the casing 110. In a further embodiment, the fabric 200 is removably secured to the at least one connection point. In the shown embodiment, the fabric 200 is removably secured via complementary lengths of hook at loop fasteners, however other fasteners such as snaps, and fasteners disposed on the edge 220 of the fabric 200 and the interior portion 210 of the inner surface 112 of the casing are contemplated by this disclosure.

An opening 230 in the casing 110 includes a first edge 231 and a second edge 232. The opening 230 is configured to receive the fabric 200 therethrough. In such a manner, a user is able to deploy the fabric 200 from the interior volume 130 or store the fabric 200 in the interior volume 130 via the opening 230. In various embodiments, a closure is disposed on first edge 231 and the second edge 232, such that the closure is configured to secure the first edge 231 of the opening 230 to the second edge 232 of the opening. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the closure is a zipper. Such a closure enables a user to secure the fabric 200 in the interior volume 130 in a storage configuration and secure the closure such that the fabric will not fall out of the interior volume 130 when the combination blanket and headrest is moved.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the combination blanket and headrest in a headrest configuration. The casing 110 has a first exterior end 301 and a second exterior end 302. A fastener 310 is disposed on the first exterior end 301 and the second exterior end 302 of the casing 110. In the shown embodiment, the fastener 310 is disposed on opposing terminal ends 303 of the casing 110. Further, in the shown embodiment, the fastener 310 comprises a button 311 and a loop 312 configured to receive the button 311. In the shown embodiment, the first exterior end 301 of the casing 110 and the second exterior end 302 of the casing 110 are secured via the fastener 310, thereby creating an annular headrest configuration.

In use, a user is able to store the fabric 200 in the interior volume 130 and secure the fabric 200 in the interior volume via the closure to close the opening 230. In such a manner, the user is able to place the combination blanket and headrest in a storage configuration. A user is also able to reverse the process and open the closure in order to deploy the fabric 200 stored in the interior volume 130 of the combination blanket and headrest. A user is able to wrap the combination blanket and headrest in a storage configuration around a neck of the user and secure the first exterior end 301 of the casing 110 to the second exterior end 302 of the casing 110, thereby placing the combination blanket and headrest in a headrest configuration.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A combination blanket and headrest, comprising: a casing including an outer surface and an inner surface; the inner surface defining an interior volume; the interior volume configured to receive a fabric therein; an interior portion of the inner surface of the casing secured to an edge of the fabric; an opening in the casing, defining a first edge and a second edge; the opening configured to receive the fabric therethrough; a closure disposed on the first edge of the opening and the second edge of the opening; the casing having a first exterior end and a second exterior end; a fastener disposed on the first exterior end and the second exterior end of the casing. 2) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 1, wherein the casing is cylindrical. 3) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 1, wherein the first exterior end of the casing and the second exterior end of the casing are secured via the fastener, thereby maintaining an annular headrest configuration. 4) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 1, wherein the opening further comprises a zipper, configured to secure the first edge of the opening to the second edge of the opening. 5) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 1, wherein the fastener is disposed on opposing terminal ends of the casing. 6) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises a button and a loop configured to receive the button. 7) A combination blanket and headrest, comprising: a casing including an outer surface and an inner surface; the inner surface defining an interior volume; the interior volume further comprising a first compartment and a second compartment; the first compartment of the interior volume configured to receive a fabric therein; an interior portion of the inner surface of the casing secured to an edge of the fabric; an opening in the casing, defining a first edge and a second edge; the opening configured to receive the fabric therethrough; a closure disposed on the first edge of the opening and the second edge of the opening; the casing having a first exterior end and a second exterior end; a fastener disposed on the first exterior end and the second exterior end of the casing. 8) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 7, wherein the casing is cylindrical. 9) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 7, wherein the first exterior end of the casing and the second exterior end of the casing are secured via the fastener, thereby creating an annular headrest configuration. 10) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 7, wherein the opening further comprises a zipper, configured to secure the first edge of the opening to the second edge of the opening. 11) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 7, wherein the fastener is disposed on opposing terminal ends of the casing. 12) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 7, wherein the fastener comprises a button and a loop configured to receive the button. 13) A combination blanket and headrest, comprising: a casing including an outer surface and an inner surface; the inner surface defining an interior volume; the interior volume configured to receive a fabric therein; an interior portion of the inner surface of the casing removably secured to an edge of the fabric; an opening in the casing, defining a first edge and a second edge; the opening configured to receive the fabric therethrough; a closure disposed on the first edge of the opening and the second edge of the opening; the casing having a first exterior end and a second exterior end; a fastener disposed on the first exterior end and the second exterior end of the casing. 14) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 13, wherein the casing is cylindrical. 15) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 13, wherein the first exterior end of the casing and the second exterior end of the casing are secured via the fastener, thereby creating an annular headrest configuration. 16) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 13, wherein the opening further comprises a zipper, configured to secure the first edge of the opening to the second edge of the opening. 17) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 13, wherein the fastener is disposed on opposing terminal ends of the casing. 18) The combination blanket and headrest of claim 13, wherein the fastener comprises a button and a loop configured to receive the button. 